French with Agapitha inside the bus. | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines— A netizen’s story of a woman he met during a bus ride in Bohol touched a lot of people’s hearts online.
A netizen, named French, who is originally from Surigao City but works in Cebu, shared one of his memorable bus ride experiences when he was on his way to their family’s grand reunion in Bilar town in Bohol province.
In his Facebook post, last May 23, 2019, he shared how a simple bus ride touched his life.
“I was about to ride a bus from Tagbilaran to Bilar when I noticed a vacant seat with only one person sitting, while the rest were standing. I looked closely when I realized why no one was sitting beside her. She has neurofibromatosis. I felt bad and sat beside her. She smiled at me as if she didn’t see what’s been happening while she was at the bus. I smiled back and said ‘hi’,” said French.
Neurofibromatosis is a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on a nerve tissue, according to mayoclinic.org.
In that bus ride he met, Agapitha, 59, single and a nanny, who takes care of some of her relatives’ children.
“A couple of minutes after, I talked to her as I didn’t know where Bilar was, and, obviously, we were the only ones in a four-person capacity seat. She provided me directions with a smile. I can’t help but be captivated by her disposition, so I asked personal questions,” he said.
During that bus ride, he got to know a little about Agapitha.
He learned that Agapitha had been based in Manila for 36 years as a nanny to her nieces, and, now, she had been based in Bohol working as a nanny to her relatives’ children.
As for her condition, Agapitha said that she had been treated of her condition many years ago.
It was a good one-hour bus ride that was full of life talks and positivity, said French.
Agapitha, a happy and positive soul, has proved to French that her physical condition does not speak of her personality.
In his post, he also shared the touching words that struck him the most.
“Ngano mureklamo man ko, mabalaka man ko, magproblema man ko, nga di man ako tag iya sa akong lawas. Maypa pasagdan na lang nako Siya mugiya nako, wala pa ko hunahunaon, and malipay pa ko,” said Agapitha.
(Why should I complain, be worried or see this as a problem? My body is not mine to begin with. I might as well let God guide me, in that sense I don’t have to think of anything else and that even makes me happy.)
French said to CDN Digital that he shared the post to create awareness to the people around about breaking the stigma about people with a certain condition.
As of May 25, 2019, at 9 a.m., the post has already reached 47 comments, 2,300 shares, and 8,800 reactions./dbs